Christine Coen, a movement coach and holistic dietitian, shares her journey from conventional nutrition to holistic practices aimed at stress management. She reveals how somatic practices can transform mental health by fostering connection with the body. Christine discusses the pivotal role movement plays in overcoming mental health struggles and highlights the importance of understanding stress as a tangible element of health. She addresses common cortisol misconceptions and offers practical techniques for incorporating somatic practices into daily life to enhance resilience.
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Track Your Nervous System Rhythm
Track rhythms and physical cues to map how your nervous system experiences stress throughout the day.
When you notice a state, stay with it briefly to expand your window of tolerance before trying to force a shift.
insights INSIGHT
Cortisol: Acute Aid, Chronic Cost
Cortisol helps acute survival but chronic elevation keeps the body in low-grade alert causing jitteriness and sleep issues.
Extended high cortisol often flips to low cortisol, producing fatigue and nonrestorative sleep.
insights INSIGHT
Cortisol Cascades Through Hormones
Chronic cortisol dysregulation disrupts insulin and thyroid function, slowing metabolism and shifting fat storage toward the abdomen.
It also disturbs estrogen/progesterone and can worsen PMS, fertility issues, and early menopause risks.
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Feeling stuck in fight or flight? Do you struggle with managing stress in your daily life? Can somatic practices really transform your mental health? Christine Coen, movement coach and holistic dietitian, joins Michelle to discuss how learning to connect with your body not only helps in coping with immediate stress but also enhances long-term emotional resilience.
Tune in to hear:
Christine's transition from a conventional dietitian to a holistic practitioner focusing on stress management and mental health [4:09]
The pivotal role of movement in overcoming mental health struggles and its profound impact on Christine's life [7:24]
The importance of self-advocacy and intuition in healing [9:24]
The significance of recognizing stress as a tangible factor in health rather than just an ambiguous concept [10:11]
Exploring the nervous system's response to our environment and the foundational role of feeling safe in our health [14:44]
What embodiment means and how it can reduce anxiety and depression symptoms in the longterm [25:26]
Common misconceptions about cortisol and what high and low cortisol can look like [31:10]
The connection between cortisol and our nervous system [28:02]
How cortisol interfaces with other hormones like insulin, thyroid, and sex hormones [39:54]
How leaning into our stress responses such as fight, flight, freeze and shut down can help us move through them [43:15]
Practical somatic practices that can be integrated into daily life to help manage stress and anxiety. [47:20]
Christine's insights on shifting from external validations to trusting one’s intuition and inner guidance in life decisions. [56:15]
Strategies for nurturing a positive mental state and the importance of embodying feelings of safety and joy. [1:00:02]
Quiet the Diet